The governing body for greyhound racing in Western Australia has said it was committed to supporting the welfare of both the animals and the sport as it defended its track record on the second day of a parliamentary inquiry.
Racing and Wagering WA (RWWA) is the state-appointed regulator for thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing.
It also operates the WA TAB, the country’s only remaining state-owned betting agency.
The inquiry, being run by the Environment and Public Affairs Committee, was sparked by a petition of more than 26,000 signatures calling for the sport to be phased out.
There are three greyhound racing tracks in WA, including Cannington in Perth’s southern suburbs. (ABC News: Cason Ho)
On Tuesday, RWWA representatives spent more than three hours answering questions, many raised by animal welfare groups who appeared at the inquiry on Monday.
In his opening remarks, RWWA CEO Ian Edwards said the agency’s role was to “support the long-term viability of racing in Western Australia”.
“It is not, as you heard yesterday, to maximise gambling profits,” he said.
“Because of the way in which racing is funded, wagering revenues are certainly an important part in racing’s long-term sustainability, but community confidence and support rely on the industry upholding the highest standards of animal welfare and integrity.
“That’s why RWWA continues to invest heavily in track safety, injury prevention, veterinary care, and rehoming initiatives,”
he said.
There are about 60 greyhound racing tracks operating nationwide, with Australia touted as the world’s largest commercial greyhound racing industry.
But with Tasmania planning to phase out greyhound racing by 2029, and New Zealand also looking at that option, those against the industry hope the tide is turning.
Greyhound deaths
Since January, seven greyhounds have had to be put down on WA track due to injuries sustained during a race.
The inquiry heard a further four had been put down off track over the same time period, raising the number of deaths so far this year to 11.
Animal advocacy groups say around one greyhound dies on a track every three weeks. In 2025, there were 21 on-track deaths in WA, with the Cannington and Mandurah tracks among the nation’s most dangerous.
Owners of rescued greyhounds gathered on Monday ahead of the parliamentary inquiry. (ABC News: Briana Shepherd)
Committee member Jess Beckerling of the Greens asked RWWA if a death every three weeks was acceptable.
“How do you justify an ongoing practice where you can expect such a high level of deaths?” she asked.
RWWA’s head of animal welfare, veterinarian Caroline McMullen, said the governing body did everything it could to mitigate against such deaths.
“We don’t just accept these deaths as an inevitable outcome,”
she said.
RWWA chief racing integrity officer Denis Borovica, also added: “We don’t accept it, we’re not here to justify it, we’re here to regulate it and … apply risk-based responses to the risks that are obviously there.”
Rehoming programme
Animal welfare groups have criticised the RWWA for not being forthcoming with statistics about greyhound deaths that occurred when the animals were not racing.
The RWWA confirmed these statistics were only included in its annual reports, and could be made available under a freedom of information request.
Dr McMullen also spoke at length about the RWWA’s rehoming program, Greyhounds as Pets WA (GAP), which is responsible for finding homes for about 50 per cent of the 600 odd greyhounds who leave the industry each year.
She said RWWA was working to rehome more animals, which would ease the burden on the not-for-profit groups who rely on volunteers.
RWWA had to take several questions on notice because they did not have the relevant information in front of them, including how common a practice it was to use non-disclosure agreements, after an example was raised in a submission to the inquiry.
Distressing content children can see
Amanda Dorn of the Animal Justice Party asked several questions, including why races in which a greyhound was badly injured were not uploaded to the Racing WA website.
“If footage of injuries is removed from public, which generally does happen because it’s too distressing obviously, why are children allowed trackside?” she put to RWWA.
“In fact, there’s a playground beside the track as well.”
A parliamentary inquiry is examining the greyhound racing industry in Western Australia. (ABC News: Robert Koenig-Luck)
After a pause, Dr McMullen said: “Obviously, it’s not something that we want anyone to witness. It’s distressing for everybody. The veterinarians, the stewards, the trainers, nobody goes to the races expecting their dog to be injured.
“But it’s the way that we manage that, that is important.”
The inquiry also heard from the WA Greyhound Racing Association, which is responsible for providing racing and training facilities to the industry.
The association is required to follow the direction of Racing and Wagering WA.
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